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a 9 w h o. A d e t n e t a P .L K A L T s E W W Km 3 1 2 2 6 n N MEANSFOR FEEDING AND' BURNING PULVERIZED FUEL.

(Application filed Apr. 4, 1898-) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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ATTORNEY Patented Apr. ll, I899.

WQWESTLAKE. MEANS FOR FEEDING AND BURNING PULVERIZED FUEL.

(Application filed Apr. '4, 1698.)

4 Sheet Shet 2.

(No Model.)

MNMMw qqod 000000000 INVENTOR w s Q N 0 x O O w .I: Q Rx uwk\ uh Mo m.4M: 0 o I M Q .i' hu lml l l J 1 I x l l ll ATTORNEY Patented Apr. ll,I899. W. WESTLAKE. MEANS FOR FEEDING AND BURNING PULVEBIZED FUEL.

(Application filed Apr. 4, 1898.1 1

4 Sheets8heet 3.

(No Model.)

l o O\ WITNESSES: @iF/vd @w p Y INVENTOR ATTORNEY I Patented Apr. ll,I899. W. WESTLAKE.

MEANS FUR FEEDING AND BURNING PULVERIZED ,FUEL.

(Application filed Apr. 4, 1898.!

4 Sheets8heet 4.

(No' Model.)

,4- .m Pl! 2 WITNESSES: m @7 Wow ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WESTLAKE, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MEANS FOR FEEDING AND' BURNING P ULVERIZED FUEL.

' SFECIFIGATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 622,935, dated April11, 1899.

Application filed April 4, 1898. strain). 676,281. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WESTLAKE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and city andState of New York, have invented certain: new and useful Improvements inMeans for Feeding and Burning Pulverized.

Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for burning fuel in the form of dust orfine granules in order to produce heat, the object being to produce aclose approximation to absolutely perfect combustion.

I-Ieretofore, so far as known, serious difficulties have beenexperienced in burning powdered fuel, such as coal, these difficultiesaris ing in part from inability to attain perfect combustion of the fueland the consequent accumulation of the fuel in the chambers of thefurnace, in part from inability to feed the fuel to the furnace or theburning-point in a manner to attain the proper admixture of oxygen withthe particles of carbon, andin part to the inability to effect theobject sought with a forced draft or blast, a method of universal use inall attempts to burn powdered fuel so far as known.

The present invention hasfor its object a drier for the powdered fueladapted for drying the latter thoroughly at the moment before it is fedto the furnace, whereby the feeding of the fuel in separate dust-likeparticles is assured. This drying heats the fuel and in a good degreeassures that each particle shall be surrounded by air when it reachesthe point of combustion.

The invention has also for its object the feeding of the dried dust-likefuel by gravity in a thin sheet to the furnace-mouth; and it relies inthe main on the natural draft of the furnace for producing combustion.

Another feature of the invention resides in the use of a burner orseries of burners emair is supplied within the conlbustion-cham-- ber ofthe furnace to combine with the car-' as, for example, an adaptation ofthe inven-' tion to a new installation for a steam boiler or generator,an adaptation to replace a furnace already constructed on the ordinaryprinciples, and an adaptation to a locomotivefurnace.

In the drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of aboiler-furna e,taken substantiallyin the plane of the line so in Fig. 2;and Fig. 2 is a front view of said furnace, the left side being anelevation and the right side a vertical transverse section insubstantially the plane indicated by the line a in Fig. 1. These viewsshow the invention embodied in a new installment of a boiler-furnace.Fig. 3 is a vertical section on a large scale; and Fig. 3, a fragmentarysectional View of the feed-regulating device for the fuel, the sectionalplane of Fig. 3 being at line a in Fig. 3. Fig. 4c is a plan Viewillustrating a slight modification of the device as seen in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section at line 00 in Fig. 6,illustrating an embodiment of the invention in a furnace adapted toreplace a boiler-furnace of the usual kind; and Fig. 6 is a transversevertical section of the same in the plane indicated by line no in Fig.5. Fig.

7 is a longitudinal vertical mid-section of a locomotive-furnaceembodying the invention, and Fig. 8 is transverse vertical section ofthe same in the plane indicated by line 00 in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 illustratesanother form of the feeding device.

Referring primarily to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 3, X represents an ordinarytubular return-flue boiler, Y the breeching at the front end of theboiler to lead the gases to the chimney, and Zthe brickwork, in whichthe boiler is set.

Under the boiler are two like combustion chambers A, arranged side byside and havin g each an arched roof c separating the chamber from theshell of the boiler. Both of the combustion-chambers A open at the backinto a flue B, leading the hot gases to the rear chamber.

In front of the furnace is situated the fuel drying and feeding device,designated as a whole by O, and below the device 0, at the front, issituated a portable igniter, designated as a whole by D.

The devices for supplying, drying, and feedingthe powdered fuel a; willnow be described.

The fuel is supplied to a receiver or hopper 1, and the-supply may be,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, effected by an endless conveying device 2,which is not in itself novel. The fuel falls through a suitable chute orpipe 3 intothe hopper 1, and falls onto the drier therein, this drierbeing formed, as herein shown, of coils 4 of steam-pipe arranged ratherclose together and inclined or V-shaped, as shown. Below the twoinclined sets of coils are placed inclined plates 4, upon which the fuelfalls after passing between the coils. These plates form the inclinedbottom of the hopper. The fuel in drying may giveoff some vapor andother exhalations, and these may pass into the breeching Y by a pipe orflue 5. From the drier the fuel descends by gravity as a dust or powderinto a laterally-extended flattened chuteor trunk 6, which may beconsidered as a part of the hopper 1 or as a pendent continuationthereof. In this trunk 6 is the feed regulator or device for restrictingthe quantity of fuel fed, as well as feeding it in a sheet across thefront of the combustion- This feed-regulator consists, as best seen inFigs. 3 and 3, of a plate 7, fixed to the back wall of'the trunk 6 andhaving scallops 7 in its front edge, and a sliding plate 8, which playsthrough the front wall of the trunk 6 and rests on and slides over theplate 7 in such a manner as to gradually reduce the passages at thescallops for the flow of the fuel-dust when the plate 8 is pushed in.For convenience in operating the cut-off plate or slide 8 it may havecollared in it, as seen in Fig. 3, at each end a screw 9,which screwsthrough a bridge-nut 10, fixed to the outer face of the trunk 6. Imay-say here that the scallops or recesses in the front edge of theplate 7 will be, by preference, circular or curved, as seen in Fig. 3;but they may be with good results of other forms, as of the rectangularform seen in Fig. 4, for example. After passing the regulator justdescribed the fuel-dust falls by gravity in a thin sheet or dust-cloudto the outlet 6 of the trunk 6, where it emerges at the mouth 11 of thefurnace. At this point there is a fixed inclined pan 12, on which thedust may fall in case it is not instantly drawn into thecombustion-chamber by the draft.

When the fuel-dust is dried onthe steampipes or coils 4, it may form inslightly cohesive flocculent masses, and in order to break or shattersuch masses into dust or granules I prefer to provide the feedingapparatus O with agitators, which will now be described.

The apparatus 0 is hinged to the front of the furnace at 13, so that itmay swing toward and from the furnace-front, and may indeed be swung outfar enough to allow access to the breeching Y and to the front ends ofthe boiler-tubes by means of a door 3 in the front of the breeching.

In hearings on the furnace-frontis mounted a rotatable shaft 14, onwhich are fixed one or more toes 14, adapted, as the shaft rotates, toengage or take behind a hook 15 on the trunk 6 and swing the deviceoutward and then slip off and allow the whole to swing back on its hinge13 and strike the furnacefront through the medium of a bumper 16 on thetrunk, as seen in Fig. 1. This device may be operated by power or byhand, the shaft 14 being rotated through the medium of a sheave orpulley 16 on the shaft and a belt. (Not shown.) Of course the shaft 14may be driven from any rotating shaft, as that which drives thefuel-conveyer 2, for example.

In the hopper 1 above the drying-coils is mounted a rock-shaft 17, whichcarries a number of curved arms 18, adapted to play back and forththrough the fuel on the coils by the rocking of the shaft 17. On theouter end of the shaft 17 is an arm 17, which is coupled by a rod 10 toa crank 14 on the shaft 14, whereby rotation of said shaft rocks theshaft 17 and causes the arm-s 17 to agitate the fuel in the hopper andbreak up any flocculent masses or crusts that may be formed in drying.In Fig. 2 the-hopper 1 is broken away to show this agitating device.

The fuel, reaching the laterally-extended mouth 11 of the furnacein theform of a thin sheet or filmy cloud, is drawn into thecombustion-chamber by the natural draft.

The combustion-chamber A has an air flue or lines I) underneath itsfloor a, the air entering at the front of the furnace through openingscontrolled by doors 1). Near the front of the combustion-chamber A onits floor is an ignition-wall 0, having in it passages c'. This wallfaces the mouth 11 of the furnace. Primary ignition of the fuel iseffected by heating the ignition-wall, which will be of refractorymaterial, up to a high temperature by means of the igniting apparatus D.Respecting this apparatus it will only benecessary to say that, as hereshown, it'is a form of burner for liquid hydrocarbon comprising areservoir or holder 20 for the oil, into which air is compressed,whichforccs the oil out through a series of jet devices 21, constructedon the Bunsen principle, and from which the oil is ejected through aneedle-like aperture. The flame from these jets impinges on theignition-wall and the adjacent refractory surfaces, heating them to ahigh temperature, whereby the cloud of dustlike fuel entering with theair caused by the draft is ignited in a very perfect manner. The solidfuel must be reduced practically to a gaseous form before perfectcombustion can be attained, and at the point of ignition some of thecarbon of the fuel will be combined to form carbon dioxid, while aconsiderable portion will unite with oxygen to form carbon monoxid, andthis will be supplied with oxygen at points farther on, as will now beexplained.

In the arched roof at of the combustion-chamber are shown, in Fig. 1,inlets dfor air drawn in by the natural draft. Preferably one of theseinlet points will be situated over or nearly over the igniting-wall andthe others placed at intervals farther back and the inlet-passages willbe inclined downward toward the rear. In the bottom a of thecombustionchamber are formed upright walls facing to the rear, in whichare formed air-inlets d, open to the bottom air-flue b;

It may be well to state here that as thereare really two likecombustion-chambers A, placed side byside under the boiler, and twomouths 11, one for each furnace, the single hopper 1 of the fuel-feedingapparatus 0 is conveniently branched or forked below, there being twotrunksG, each provided with a feed-regulating device.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a construction somewhat different from that lastdescribed, but not differing therefrom in principle. In this form thehopper of the feeder is adaptedto be filled by hand and theagitator 18therein to be operated by hand. The igniting apparatus D is the same;but in lieu of an ignitingbridge in the combustion-chamber A the mouth11 of the furnace is inclined downward and is formed in the thickrefractory front wall of the furnace. The jets from the ignitingapparatus impinge directly on the inclined upper wall 11 of the mouth 11and heat it to a high temperature. Air for primary ignition enters atinlets e in the front wall and inlets f in the floor. The current ofgases from the front part of the combustion-chamber is divided by anupright hollow partition a and air-inlets g are formed in it and in thehollow side walls to provide air to complete the combustion.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate an adaptation of the invention to a locomotive-boiler. In this adaptation the drying and feeding devices for the fueland the igniter D are substantially the same as described, and shown inFigs. 5 and 6. X is the locomotive-boiler, and A is the fire-box. Abovethe arched roof or crown a of the fire-box is a chamber orspace WV, towhich .air has access from an air-flue h,

open at the front end h to receive air when the locomotive is running.The air enters the combustion-chamber through air-inlets '11 in thecrown a The amount of air admitted to the fine It is regulated by avalve h. Below the fire-box is another air-fluej, also open at the frontend j and air entering thereat passes into the fire-box through inlets kin the bottom thereof. Air to promote primary ignition enters the mouthof the furnace at an inlet m below the lower plate of the furnace-mouth.had to the rear tube-sheet of the boiler through a door n in the frontwall of the 011311111 ber WV. A door 0 regulates the influx of air tothe lower air-flue j. I

The fuel-feeding apparatus C is shown in Fig. 1 as hinged to the frontof the furnace, and it may be loosely hinged 'or suspended therefrom, sothat it can be lifted off if desired.

It will be noted that in all of these forms Access may be of furnacesthe fuel-feeding devices are in a substance the same, the dry dust-likefuel being fed by gravity down to the flame in a thin cloud or sheet.The heat of the flame from the igniterD under the heavy pressure of theair on the liquid hydrocarbon is veryintense and acts in the manner of ablower or blowpipe; but the several jets 21 are underperfect control andare arranged to ignite the powdered fuel in a complete and perfectmanner. The jets 21 may be placed quite close together; but as it ishardly feasible to make them coalesce into one sheet of flame it iscontemplated to so shape the lower end of the trunk o, where the fuelemerges,that the latter will issue in thin streams, each stream beingdirectly in front of one of the jets of the igniter. This will insurethat each particle of the fuel shall be brought into direct contact withthe intensely-hot flame. This form of the delivery end of the trunk 6will be understood from the fragmentary view Fig. 9, wherein 6represents the several outlet-chutes for the fuel,

fuel fed, and an igniter having a flame-jet directed into the mouth ofthe f u rnace,whereby the falling fuel is ignited and carried into thesaid mouth, substantially as set forth.

2. In means for feeding fuel in the form of dust to a furnace, thecombination with a fuel receiver situated above the furnace-mouth, anupright flattened chute extending from said receiver down to thefurnace-mouth, and a feed-regulator in said chute, of a drier for 'thefuel in and forming the bottom of said fuel-receiver, substantially asset forth.

3. The combination to form a means for feeding powdered or dust-likefuel to a furnace, of the receiver to contain the fuel, the,

mouth, and an adjustable regulator'in the said chute for the feed,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, in a means for feeding powdered or dust-like fuel toa furnace, of a receiver for the fuel, a drier therein for the fuel, aflattened chute or trunk to lead the dried fuel down by gravity to thefurnacemouth, and means for agitating the dried fuel to break upanyflocculent or crust-like masses thereof formed in drying,substantially as set forth.

5. In a furnace for burning powdered or dust-like fuel, the combinationwith a feeder Which feeds the dust down in a thin sheet to thefurnace-mouth so that the draft may take it in, of an igniter whichheats the refractory material at the furnace-mouth up to a hightemperature, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the fuel-receiver and the chute or trunk 6extendingdown therefrom, of a feed-regulator consisting of a scallopedplate 7, in the said chute or trunk, and the movable plate 8, which maybe shifted in or out over the plate 7, to regulate the size of theopening through Which the fuel must pass in its descent to thefurnace-mouth, substantially as set forth.

7. A fuel feeding and drying device sus-- therein is shaken andagitated, substantially as set forth.

8. A fuel feeding and drying device, comprising a receiver 1, a V-shapeddrier therein consisting of the steam-pipes 4, and the plates 4 situatedbeneath and near to said pipes, the agitator in'said receiver abovethe-drier, the chute 6 adapted to lead the powdered fuel by gravity downto the furnace-mouth, and

the feed-regulatorin said chute, substantially as set forth.

9. In a furnace for burning powdered or,

dust-like fuel, the combination with a feeder for feeding the fuel bygravity in athin sheet to the mouth of the furnace, and an ignitingwallnear the furnace-mouth, of an igniter for heating the saidigniting-Wall, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination with a furnace, of a feeder for feeding dust-likefuel by gravity down to the mouth of the furnace, and an ig-

